Teagan felt Aaron’s hand on her arm as his warm lips met hers. He smelled great, like sunscreen and maleness. He pulled away for a moment, his face hovering a centimeter from hers, as if waiting to see what she would do.

She should back away. There were tons of reasons she should back away. But she couldn’t think of even one at that moment. All she could think was that she liked having him near her. Receiving no signal to stop, Aaron kissed her again. This time, Teagan gave in to it, wrapping her arms around him as Aaron’s hands held either side of her face. He kissed her with more force this time, like he meant it, his tongue exploring hers. Damn, it felt good to kiss a man again, to feel him and taste him and sense his arousal. Then, Aaron pulled away.

“Stay at my house tonight.”

Teagan blinked. All of a sudden, rational thoughts arrived. Her long drive home. Her financial struggles. Her need to get back to work. Most of all, that she wanted nothing to do with men, and here she was fielding an invitation to sleep with one.

“You said you were done with women,” she said.

He gazed at her without blinking. “I lied.”

Teagan giggled at that, looking down. Away from that gaze. “I’d love to, but I can’t. I’ve had a great time, and you’ve been an excellent host. But I need to get home, and I need to leave at dawn tomorrow morning.” She looked up again.

He still watched her with those eyes. She wanted to back away, to put away her telescope, to do anything that would put space between her and Aaron. But she couldn’t move.

“Look,” he said. “I don’t want you to do anything you aren’t comfortable doing. I’m just saying… you could sleep in a comfortable bed, in a place with AC. I’ll even sleep on the couch.” When she chuckled at that, he went on. “Tomorrow, you can get up early, have a real breakfast… and head home. I have to be up at five anyway. And, my place is on your way out of town. You’ll shave almost an hour off your drive tomorrow.”

She deliberated for a few moments, the rational part of her attempting to find some flaw in Aaron’s arguments. But rationality abandoned her, overtaken by the prospect of spending just a little more time with this amazing man. She gave an exaggerated sigh. “Fine. I’ll sleep in your comfy bed and eat your food.”

Aaron smiled at that. “You sure?”

“I’m sure.”

“Did you leave anything back at your campsite?”

“Nope.”

They loaded up her telescope and headed back down the hill.

Around midnight, Teagan followed Aaron into a development of newish homes, each in varying shades of tan and with Spanish tile roofing and xeric landscaping to handle the extreme climate. He stopped at one of them, pulling his truck into the garage while she parked on the street.

Aaron carefully transferred her telescope to her truck and she packed it away in its foam blanket. “You need help carrying anything?”

She shook her head. “I just need a few things.”

“I need to go let Patton out.”

Inside, the comfort of Aaron’s AC hit her first. His place was spare—leather couch, big-screen TV, a shelf with technical-looking books, a few family photos, and military paraphernalia. Neat, clean, and free of clutter. The textured plaster walls remained unadorned, other than the framed Captain America poster hanging above his desk. She spotted Patton out back, relieving himself. Aaron appeared in the doorway.

“You hung your Captain America,” she said.

He nodded. “I should have bought more art. The place is still pretty bare.” He pointed to one of the two bedrooms. “Bedroom’s in there. And help yourself to anything in the fridge, if you’re thirsty.”

She bypassed Aaron’s spare room, which had little more than boxes in it, and went to his bedroom. It was also neat and spare, with a queen bed that had a navy comforter and crisp navy sheets. The window overlooked the desert, the moonlight casting a glow over the landscape. So quiet and peaceful it was, compared to where she lived. She pulled the bed covers back and sat on the soft sheets, digging through her toiletries for her toothbrush and wondering what to sleep in. She decided on a t-shirt and underwear.

When she emerged from the bathroom, she saw no sign of Aaron but heard rustling from the living room. She peeked through the doorway—Patton lay asleep on his bed while Aaron arranged a pillow and blanket on his couch. Teagan smiled, hardly believing that Aaron had remained true to his word about sleeping on the couch. At that moment, she realized she didn’t want him to.

“You don’t have to sleep on the couch.”

Aaron turned around. His eyes studied her for a moment, before they traveled down her body and back up again, sending a wave of heat through her. “You sure?”

“I’m sure.”

He tossed the blanket aside and walked toward her, his gaze dropping to her lips. Next thing she knew, Aaron’s lips were on hers, his muscular arms surrounding her as he pulled her against him. Heat spread through her as she tasted him again, inhaling his scent and pulling him even closer. She felt his hardness against her, and it made her gasp just a little. Suddenly, she wanted that hardness. She wanted all of it.

Aaron’s hands slid down to her hips before they found their way under her t-shirt and began exploring her bare back. He grabbed the bottom of her t-shirt and lifted it to her shoulders. She reached up with her hands, allowing him to yank it off before he tossed it aside. His hands resumed their place on her waist, until he slid them up to her breasts, another wave of pleasure running through her. She closed her eyes as he brushed his thumbs over her nipples, which grew hard under his touch. It felt amazing to be touched like that again.

His lips met hers once more, and Teagan felt the urgency in the kiss as his breathing grew more rapid. She tugged at his shirt, prompting him to take it off and let her admire that gorgeous body he’d kept hidden until now. She slid her hands up his bare chest, with every intention of aiming for his shorts next. But before she could do so, Aaron bent down and lifted her completely off her feet, tossing her over his shoulder like she weighed nothing.

Teagan cried out in surprise, giggling as he carried her to his bedroom and lowered her onto the bed. He leaned over and pulled off her panties in one quick motion, and now she was completely naked before him. She smiled up at him, ready to make some quip about him going all caveman on her. But she held back when she saw the expression on his face, his eyes blazing with desire and his usual reserve mostly gone. He undid his shorts and pushed them to the floor, stepping out of them and giving her a visual treat like no other.

Jesus, he was hot. And rock hard.

Aaron lowered himself onto her, just hovering over her while she caressed his smooth back. He kissed her again, his mouth devouring her before his lips migrated to her neck, sending another rush of pleasure through her. He found his way to her breasts, kissing and licking her hardened nipples, making her writhe under him as she grew more and more eager for him. His lips ventured down to her stomach, and on down further, until he reached the hot, wet area between her legs.

He grabbed her legs and spread them apart, making contact with his tongue. Teagan drew in a sharp breath. He worked her with his tongue, each stroke more amazing than the last as she panted and grabbed the soft sheets with her hands. She moved her hips with him, taking in each stroke, a couple of tiny cries escaping her. What Aaron was doing to her felt way too good, too good for her to sustain any longer, and soon it exploded and came crashing down on her. Aaron backed away and she lay there for just a moment, trying to gain her senses again. When she glanced up at him, he had just a hint of a smile on his face, the kind of smile that went with his wild eyes. He wiped his mouth before hovering over her again. He kissed her, hard. His tongue found hers and they shared in just a hint of her own taste, something she’d never experienced before. Tasting herself on him only turned her on more and made her want all of him.

Aaron moved his hips so that his hardness pressed against her moistness, stimulating her with its possibilities. She moved under him, grabbing his behind and making it clear what she wanted and needed, groaning at how amazing he felt. Aaron paused and reached into his bedside table before rolling on a condom. He lowered himself onto her again and plunged into her.

She cried out in grateful pleasure as he filled her up. He waited for just a moment before pulling back and then thrusting again, even deeper this time. She muttered a yes, a smile forming on her lips.

“You like that, do you?” came his deep voice, low and sexy in her ear.

“God, yes,” she breathed.

Again he buried himself inside her, and over and over again as she grabbed onto him and brought her hips to meet every thrust. Aaron began to speed up, and just when she felt herself getting close, he stopped. She opened her eyes to find him staring at her.

He sat up, the tiny smile back again. “Get on your hands and knees.”

Teagan raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Yes, sir,” she said, making Aaron’s smile widen just a bit. Until now, she’d never imagined that bossy could be so freaking sexy. She rolled over and got on her hands and knees in front of him, her body wild with anticipation. Aaron grabbed her hips and guided them toward him, and he entered her again.

“Oh, God,” she moaned. As he began to move in her again, she gasped at the feel of him from this angle, penetrating her deep and hitting some pleasure spot she’d completely forgotten about.

Aaron held onto her hips, pushing into her again and again, going harder and harder as she reared back against him. Soon, Teagan felt herself starting to combust. She cried out, grasping the bed sheets with her hands as her mind and body melted into a fog, her only remaining senses hearing Aaron grunt as he offered his last thrust and gave in to his own release.

Teagan hung her head down and released some of her grip on his sheets, catching her breath and waiting for the fog to clear from her mind. Aaron remained still for a moment before he finally pulled out. Teagan collapsed onto her side and Aaron lay down next to her, sprawled on his back as he too gathered his wits. She lay there, still and glistening with sweat, the unexpectedness of the situation beginning to dawn on her. Who was this guy? And how did he go from someone who barely acknowledged her to someone who could make her feel like that in a matter of, what, a few days?

“What are you smiling at?” he said.

She scoffed. “Like you don’t know.”

Aaron chuckled. He patted her on her hip before he sat up and went to dispose of their protection. She watched him go, admiring his naked behind as he sauntered away. He returned a minute later with two glasses of water, one of which he handed to her before disappearing into the bathroom again. Soon, she heard the hum of an electric toothbrush.

Teagan lay there in relaxation, pulling the covers over her as her body began to cool. Sleepiness came over her quickly, and she closed her eyes.